President Donald Trump recently threatened to respond to the rising crime rate in Washington D.C. by federalizing the city.
Trump took to his account on Truth Social to post a bloodied picture of someone Fox later identified as former DOGE employee Edward Coristine, better known by his nickname “Big Balls.” Coristine was reportedly attacked on the streets of Washington D.C. by unknown assailants as he tried to help protect a woman from them.
In his post, Trump decried the concerning situation and noted that some of the assailants were as young as 14 years old, labeling them gang members. According to the president, these crimes are encouraged by what he sees as complacency in law enforcement. Trump added that the reason the crime keeps happening is because “they know nothing will happen to them.” He suggested the minors should be tried as adults and threatened to go ahead and federalize the city if things don’t improve soon. Trump wrote, “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control and run this City how it should be run.”
Donald Trump says he will take federal control of Washington D.C. if they do not focus on preventing youth-inflicted crimes:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 5, 2025
“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control and run this City how it should be run.” pic.twitter.com/NRsgiUm5YU
D.C. is at a crossroads — increasing youth crime and a subsequent political battle that could erupt because of it. Trump can’t legally just federalize the city — he would need congressional approval to carry out such a plan. And with both parties ramping up efforts to control the House after the midterms, D.C.’s crime problem could be heading toward a drawn-out and messy resolution.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, has also joined the call for a solution. Since his unceremonious departure from DOGE, Musk has largely avoided weighing in on politics, instead focusing on his companies and attacking media outlets reporting on his alleged drug dependencies. But this time, he offered more context on Coristine’s attack, stating that Coristine ultimately saved the woman being targeted. Musk also called for the federalization of the nation’s capital. This marks the first time Trump and Musk have seen eye to eye in several months.
A few days ago, a gang of about a dozen young men tried to assault a woman in her car at night in DC.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2025
A @Doge team member saw what was happening, ran to defend her and was severely beaten to the point of concussion, but he saved her.
It is time to federalize DC. pic.twitter.com/RPHKj7J3ti
Meanwhile, reports from The Washington Post suggest the root cause of the issue may be increased truancy among local students. According to the publication, at least one-third of D.C.’s K-12 students miss school without a valid reason — a trend that ultimately feeds into the rising youth crime rate. As Trump’s decimation of the Department of Education continues, this rate is expected to climb even further.
There have been several notable instances of crime in the area. In May, a House staffer was carjacked by armed assailants in Navy Yard. A couple of weeks later, youths took over a park in the same area, turning it into a base for committing multiple crimes before they were eventually arrested. Soon after, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy was stabbed in the face in that very neighborhood. A trend is clearly forming.
The pressure now falls squarely on Mayor Muriel Bowser to find effective ways to bring the crime rate down. D.C.’s truancy rate is more than twice the national average — 33% compared to 15%. And perhaps Trump may need to consider whether the educational policies he’s implementing are actively contributing to this crisis.
